A Collection Of Welsh Recipes

CHERRY TART

Filling: ½ lb (250g) ripe cherries, 1 oz (30g) flour, 8 oz (225g) sugar, 1 egg. A beaten egg and extra golden brown sugar to sprinkle over the tart.

Pastry: 8oz (225g) flour, 4 oz (115g) butter, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 egg yolk, a little water to bind.

Make the pastry: rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar and cinnamon, then bind with an egg yolk and a little water until a firm pastry dough is made, leave to rest. Make the filling: wash, destalk and remove the cherry stones – then cut the cherries in half. Mix the sugar and flour together in a bowl and add the beaten egg; beat well together and then add the cherries. Line a deep plate (or tart tin) with two-thirds of the pastry rolled out and cut to fit. Spoon the filling mixture in. Roll out the rest of the pastry, cut into narrow strips, twist them, and then form them into a trellis (criss-cross) pattern over the filling – trimming where needed. Brush over the pastry twists with a little beaten egg and sprinkle over some golden brown sugar. Bake in an oven at 400F (200C) for 30 to 40 minutes – until the fruit is soft and the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Serve slices with cream.

 

SPONGE FINGERS / JAM SANDWICHES (CAS-GWENT)

If preferred, the mixture can be spooned in small circles onto the baking sheet. When cool, the rounds can be sandwiched together with jam and whipped cream. 

6 separated eggs, 5 oz (140g) cater sugar, 6 drops vanilla essence (unless using vanilla sugar), 5 oz (140g or 1 cup) sifted flour

Makes about 4 dozen. Grease and lightly flour a large baking sheet.  Cream the egg yolks with the sugar until they are pale and fluffy. Blend in the vanilla essence, if using.  Whip up the whites until very firm and add one third of the quantity alternately with the flour, mixing very well.  Fold in the remaining whites carefully and quickly.  Put the mixture into a bag with a medium sized nozzle and pipe out fingers onto the greased and lightly floured baking sheet.  Ensure the piped fingers are not too close together.  Carefully dust the tops with caster sugar.  Spilt sugar on the baking sheet causes burning.  Bake in a moderate oven 350F (180C) for about 5 minutes or until they are just pale gold.

PARSLEY SAUCE

If the parsley sauce is to be served with chicken or poached salmon then substitute the ham stock for chicken or fish stock.

1/2 cup (100g) freshly chopped parsley, 1/2 pint (300ml or 1 cup) ham stock, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon butter, pinch of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon cream, pepper to taste.

Serves 6. Melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Add the warm ham stock and stir briskly to avoid lumps.  Add all the other ingredients and simmer for around 10 minutes. Finish with a tablespoon of fresh cream and season to taste.

 

SAWS NIONOD (ONION SAUCE)

1 lb (500g) finely sliced onion, 1/2 pint (300ml or 1cup) chicken stock, 1/2 pint (300ml or 1 cup) light cream, 1 heaped tablespoon butter, 1 heaped tablespoon flour.

Simmer the finely sliced onion in the stock, season to taste, for about 1 hour (60 minutes) until quite soft.  In another saucepan heat the butter, stir in the flour letting it cook for 1 minute then add the strained liquor from the onions, stirring all the time until the sauce is smooth.  Add the onion, mix well then add the cream, stirring until it is all incorporated.

 

(1) SAWS CRIAFOL (ROWANBERRY SAUCE)

3 lb (1.4Kg) rowan berries, 2 large chopped apples, 1 lb (500g) sugar for every pint of juice, water

Makes approx. 5 lb rowanberry sauce. Put the berries and the chopped (but not peeled or cored) apples into a large saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for 40 minutes.  Drain through a muslin cloth and let it drip overnight.  Then boil up the liquid allowing 1 lb (500g) sugar for every pint of juice. Boil fairly fast for about 1 hour (60 minutes) until it thickens. Bottle and seal as for jam.

 

(2) SAWS CRIAFOL (ROWANBERRY JELLY)

3 lb (1.4Kg) rowan berries, 2 large chopped apples, sugar, water

Put the berries and the chopped but not peeled or cored apples into a large saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for 40 minutes.  Drain through muslin and let it drip overnight.  Then boil up the liquid allowing 1 lb (500g) sugar for every pint (600ml) of juice. Boil fairly fast for about 1 hour.  Bottle and seal as for jam.  Makes approx. 5 lb jelly.

 

SAWS EOG TYEIFI  (SALMON SAUCE)

2lb (1Kg) salmon, 8 oz (225g or 1 cup) melted butter, 1/4 pint (300ml or ½ cup) Port, 1 teaspoon mushroom ketchup, 1 anchovy fillet, salmon stock

Serves 4: Wash the salmon thoroughly and remove all skin and bones and cut it into chunks.  Boil up the trimmings in 1/2 pint (300ml or 1 cup) water, well seasoned for 1/2 an hour (30 minutes).  Strain and reserve the liquid which should have reduced considerably and have a good strong flavour.  Mash up the anchovy and add the salmon and all the other ingredients and put into a fireproof dish.  Cover and bake in a hot oven 400F (200C) and bake for about 40 minutes.

 

GWLYBWR HUFEN (CREAM SAUCE)

1/4 pint (125g or 1/2 cup) fresh cream, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon soft brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon, a little freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste.

Take the sugar, lemon juice and wine vinegar and  mix together well in a bowl. Add in the cream and mix well again. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix. If preferred, a little more sugar can be used.

 

CELERY SAUCE

If the celery sauce is to be served with chicken or poached salmon then substitute the ham stock for chicken or fish stock.

2 stalks chopped celery, 2 oz (60g) seedless raisins, 1/2 pint (300ml or 1 cup) ham stock, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon butter, pepper.

Serves 6. Melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Add the warm ham stock and stir briskly to avoid lumps.  Add all the other ingredients and simmer for around 10 minutes.  Do not overcook as the crispiness of the celery acts as a foil to the meat it is served with.

 

SAWS GWIN (WINE SAUCE)

2 oz, (60g or 2 tablespoons) sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 lemon rind in one piece, 1/4 pint (150ml or 1/2 cup) Madeira Red Wine (or sweet sherry Marsala or sweet red or white wine),  2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)

To make the wine sauce: Boil the sugar, lemon rind and water for about 15 minutes then remove the rind.  Thoroughly mix the cornflour into the butter and stir into the sugar mixture.  Add the wine and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the liquid has become syrupy.  Serve very hot in a sauceboat.  Serves 4.

 

LAVER SAUCE

Laver is a smooth fine seaweed sometimes called sea-spinach.  Wash, clean and boil the laver, then mix the prepared laver with a squeeze of orange and lemon juice, butter, and some juices from a roast lamb.  Season well.  Or using cream instead of the lamb juices this sauce is very good with lobster or other shellfish.  This sauce can be served on toast or in sandwiches – or mixed with lemon juice and a little olive oil it makes a good side dish.

 

HAM AND LEEK PIE

Filling: 8 oz (225g) prepared leeks, 2 0z (60g) butter, ½ pint (300ml) cream, 2 eggs, 6 oz (170g) boiled ham, pinch of sea-salt and black pepper.

Pastry: 8oz (225g) flour, 4oz (115g) butter, 1 egg yolk, a little milk, pinch of sea-salt and black pepper. 1 egg to make a wash to brush the pie lid with.

Make the Pastry: In a bowl sift in the flour, add in the ground salt and pepper, rub in the softened butter. Mix together with an egg yolk and a little milk until a stiff pastry dough is made. Reserve and let rest. Make the filling: Clean and prepare the leeks by cutting off the roots, the coarsest green leaves and any damaged outer layers. Slice the leeks, put into a colander and run under a tap to remove any grit – then drain. Chop the drained leeks and the boiled ham into similar sized small chunks. In a bowl beat the eggs, then whisk in the cream, season with salt and pepper. To this egg and cream add the chopped leeks and ham. In a buttered pie dish line it with two-thirds of the pastry, rolled out and cut to fit. Pour the filling in, roll out the remaining pastry to make a pie lid, brush the edges and close the pie over, crimping the pastry lid to the pastry base. Make a little hole in the centre and brush the lid over with an egg wash made with a beaten egg. Bake in an oven at 350F (180C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove when pastry is golden brown and crisp.

 

NYTH CENNIN (LEEK NEST)

4 leeks, 2 oz (60g) butter, 6 oz (170g) grated hard Welsh cheese, plus a little extra grated cheese, 8 hard-boiled eggs, 1 lb (500g) boiled and mashed potato, pinch of sea-salt and black pepper, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 pint (150ml) of cream, 1/4 pint (150ml) milk.

Hard boil 8 eggs, then remove and allow to cool. Peel and boil 1lb (500g) of potatoes for 20 minutes in salted water. Strain and then mash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Clean the leeks and chop them up quite small. Then cook them in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Strain the leeks and add them to the hot mashed potato, mixing them in. Add to the leek mash 1 oz (30g) of butter and 4 tablespoons of cream, then season with salt and black pepper. Mix this in carefully, keeping the mash light. Spoon this leek mash into a wide but shallow casserole (oven-proof) dish. Keep the leek mash to the edges – making a ‘nest’. In a saucepan melt the remaining 1 oz (30g) of butter, season, then stir in the flour to cook out a little – then gradually add in the milk and cream, stirring all the time over a gentle heat. Once stirred in bring up to just under the boil and add in the grated cheese to make a thick sauce as it melts – then remove this from the heat. Shell the hard-boiled eggs, chop roughly and place in the centre of the dish in the middle of the leek mash. Pour over the eggs, into the centre of the dish, the cream and cheese sauce. Sprinkle over some extra grated cheese, then brown under a hot grill. Serve hot.

 

WELSH RAREBIT AND ONION BROTH

Welsh Rarebit: 5oz (140g) hard Welsh cheese grated, ½ tsp mustard, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp dark Welsh ale, sea-salt and pepper, 4 slices of thick bread cut in half.

Onion Broth: 3 tbsp butter, 2 lb (1 kg) onions, (finely sliced), a few sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 pint (300ml) dark Welsh ale, 1 1/2 pints (900ml) beef stock, sea-salt and black pepper to season.

Serves 4. Heat the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, add the finely sliced onions and cook on a very low heat for 40 minutes (or until the onions are brown and soft).  Pour over the Welsh ale and reduce this by half on a gentle simmer.  Add the beef stock, season with salt and pepper, add the bay leaves and the stripped leaves from the sprigs of thyme, and bring to the boil.  Keep on a high simmer and cook for 30 minutes and reduce by half again to make an onion broth. In a bowl mix together the grated cheese, mustard, egg yolk, ale, and salt and pepper. Under a hot grill toast the slices of bread on one side. Turn the toasts over and sprinkle over the cheese mixture to melt and brown on the toasts under the grill. Remove the bay leaves and pour the onion broth into four bowls, gently lay in the broth two of the toasted Welsh rarebits each.  Serve hot.